Welcome to Global Good’s Impact Interview series. This series is designed to tell the stories of the people and companies working to drive impact in society.
In this edition, we speak with Dr Alison Metcalfe, CEO and Founder of LOHA, about her journey from senior academic to digital tech founder, the role technology can play in strengthening parent-teen relationships, and why holding on to your mission is the single most important thing a purpose-led founder can do.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role?
Hi — I’m Dr Alison Metcalfe, CEO and Founder of LOHA.
At LOHA, I lead a fantastic team, and we are all committed to improving the emotional wellbeing of young people.
As CEO, I have overall responsibility for setting the strategic direction of the company. As the founder and the person with the expertise, I’m also responsible for product design and development. Of course, as a digital tech start-up, we also have to run as economically lean as possible, so keeping the finances balanced requires care and diligence too.
How did your company come about and what was the motivation behind it?
My background prior to LOHA was in academia. I was Professor of Health Care Research at King’s College London, and later Pro Vice Chancellor at Sheffield Hallam University. I was also a clinician and have worked in the NHS, or in partnership with colleagues, for research studies.
When I was working in academia, I did lots of work with families, charities and the NHS. Projects included co-designing interventions that help families communicate effectively and manage their emotional wellbeing, particularly when they are in challenging circumstances. I also ran workshops and talks to provide support to families.
As my work progressed, more and more people invited me to run workshops and events. However, time and availability became increasingly difficult, especially as my role became more senior.
Then the pandemic struck. I took a year’s sabbatical to care for my mum, who was seriously ill. During this time, I had the idea of setting up a company that used digital technology to deliver interventions to help families communicate more effectively, and to assist parents in helping teens with their emotional wellbeing. And so the idea for LOHA was born.
Once the idea was clear, I decided not to return to university work and prepared to set up LOHA.
Can you describe your company’s mission and values?
We are a profit-for-purpose company. Our mission is to facilitate the connection between parents and their teenagers. By improving the quality of this relationship, we give young people the skills and insights they need to manage their mental health and build happy, successful relationships — skills that will last them their whole lives.
What are some of the most pressing social issues that your company is working to address through its technology?
We use technology, including AI and large language models, to facilitate the growth of the relationship between parents and teens. The skills and insights parents develop mean they can help young people manage many of the challenging and difficult situations they experience.
How does your company measure the impact of its work in creating positive change?
We collect evaluation data from the families we work with. Charities, healthcare providers and corporate wellbeing organisations can also have a dashboard to explore how the families they support are progressing. We are also carrying out a health economic analysis to ascertain the evidence of effectiveness for healthcare providers.
In your opinion, what impact will technology have in creating a better future?
Technology has to be used wisely. Its not just about replacing humans in work chains or in activity. Its about using technology to enhance the quality of our lives.
What advice do you have for other companies looking to use tech for good and positively impact the world?
The one thing I have learnt is the importance of holding on to your vision and mission. Remind yourself every day of who you are helping and why. When things get tough — and some days will be — being able to remind yourself of what you are doing and why keeps you focused and driven.
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Alison’s story is a reminder that some of the most meaningful tech-for-good companies are founded not in spite of a career detour, but because of one. A pandemic, a family illness, and decades of academic and clinical expertise have come together in LOHA to address one of the most quietly urgent issues of our time: how parents and teenagers communicate, and what happens to young people’s mental health when that communication breaks down. Her advice to fellow founders — to hold tight to your vision when things get hard — is hard-won, and worth taking seriously.
To learn more about LOHA’s work, visit loha-community.com.
